From:
Mike Janke
Date: 2001-09-06 17:15:00 UTC
Subject: Re: ECE?
Explosive diarrhea 48 hours after the introduction of new ferrets
sounds like classic ECE symptoms. There is no test for it, though
there is a researcher out there that can examine a stool sample and
determine if the virus is present. Only Dr. Williams would be able
to tell if you if this could be done and where to send a sample. I
don't think you need that level of diagnosis to know what you have.
If your vet has ruled out all other possibilities, then it's a pretty
sure bet it's ECE. In that case, be prepared for an extended period
of supportive care for Bullwinkle. Even if he's willing to eat his
kibble, he should be on a bland, easily digestible diet for now.
ECE poop does not always look the same from every ferret. Sometimes
it's bright green, but just as often it can be yellowish and bubbly,
liquid and slightly green or mostly mucus. There are probably other
variations too. The odor is usually really, really nasty.
mike
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "Stephanie" <steph@t...> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Does anybody have a picture of ece poop? Bullwinkle came down with
pawing at
> the mouth, gagging and explosive diarrhea with blood flecks two
days after
> bringing our new guys home. I took him to the vet where she gave
him sq
> fluids and she has him on .7cc Amoxy 2x a day and .5 Flagyl once a
day (I'm
> covered in scratches along with Flagyl drool) for helicobacter. He
is
> playing, although not to the spastic level of before, and eating and
> drinking on his own. He WILL NOT have any baby food, but insists on
eating
> his crunchies and the cat's senior diet crunchies (he stashes these
> everywhere and if I take the bowl away, I hear him crunching under
the couch
> and in the tupperware cabinet). At first his poops were just watery
and not
> formed with little flecks of blood, but now it is greenish and
slimy without
> blood. More like mucus. His cagemate, Shasta, is fine and as
spastic as
> ever. Everyone is separated and have been since they got here with
one time
> of holding each with the other to see how they reacted to each
other, but
> they still sniff at each other through the cages when they are out.
Is there
> a definitive test for ece? Would anybody like me to post a pic of
his poop
> to tell me if this is what it is? After losing Icabod and Emeline
on Friday,
> this is just too much! Help! Oh, and I'm also seeing pink in his
poops which
> I am assuming is from the Amoxy, does this mean he is not even
getting the
> meds?
>
> Thanks for the help,
> Stephanie
> with Maggie, Bullwinkle, Shasta, Apollo and Caliccio
> missing with all my heart Icabod and Emeline